human growth, took by the acting keen edge and lifted a fragment with such ease as though it was the piece of a cardboard. Having extended a hand, it began to describe arches this fragment of the rock.
I did not know what to think. Or Wagner had supernatural force… but then – why he could not lift stones small rather, or… I did not manage to finish thinking about the thought as new focus of Wagner struck me even more.
Wagner threw a block up as a small stone, and it departed, having risen by height of two tens meters. With nervousness I expected as this block on the earth will bang. But the fragment fell back quite slowly. I counted ten seconds before the block fell down. And, when it was above the ground on the ball human growth, Wagner held up a hand, caught and held a block, and his hand did not even tremble.
– Huo-ho-ho! – cheerfully Wagner burst out laughing with the Basque and far flung away from himself a block. It, having flown by some time parallel to the earth, suddenly abruptly changed the line of flight on steep, quickly fell and with a terrible roar scattered in pieces. – Huo-ho-ho! – again Wagner burst out laughing and made an extraordinary jump. Having risen meter by four, it flew by along the platform in my party. He, obviously, did not calculate a jump as with it the same story, as happened to a block: unexpectedly it began to fall quickly. And if not a slope where it fell, Wagner probably расшибся to death. It fell near me, on other side of a juniper bush, moaned and swore, having grasped a knee. Having stroked the hurt place, he made attempt to rise and again moaned.
After some fluctuation I decided to find the presence and to give it the help.
– You very much расшиблись? Whether not to help you? – I asked, leaving a bush.
Apparently, my emergence did not surprise professor. At least, he showed nothing him.
– No, I thank you – he quietly answered – I will reach. – And he made new attempt to rise. His face was distorted from pain. He even leaned back back. The leg in a knee quickly swelled. It was obvious that not to do it without assistance.
And I began to act resolutely.
– Idemte, until pain weakened you even more – I told and lifted him. It obeyed. At each movement the sore leg inflicted on it suffering. We slowly climbed a steep slope. I almost carried Wagner on myself and itself was exhausted under weight of his quite heavy body. But at the same time I was extremely happy that I thus had an opportunity not only to uvidat, but also to get acquainted with professor Wagner, to visit his dwelling. However, maybe, having reached a gate, he will thank me and will not let in to himself? This thought disturbed me when we approached a high fence of its giving. But he told nothing, and we crossed treasured line – hardly he could say yes something. To it it was absolutely bad. From pain and concussion he almost fainted. I fell for fatigue too. And still, before entering it into the house, I managed to dart through a shoulder an inquisitive glance at the yard.
The yard was quite extensive. In the middle there was some device similar to the device Moraine. In the depth of the yard, in the earth, some big, laid by thick glass round opening was seen. Around this opening, the metal arches which were from each other at half a meter distance acted from it to the house and in several directions from the earth.
Any more I managed to consider nothing. Towards to us the house left the scared elderly woman in black – his housekeeper as I learned then.
We put professor Wagner to bed.
II. VICIOUS CIRCLE
To Wagner it was absolutely thin. He panted, having closed eyes, raved.
«Really this ingenious car – a brain of professor Wagner can be lost from concussion?» – I thought with concern.
The patient raved mathematical formulas and from time to time groaned. The become puzzled housekeeper stood helplessly and only repeated:
– What will be now? Fathers, what will be now?.
I had to give to professor first aid and to look after the patient.
Only for the second day by the morning Wagner recovered. He opened eyes and looked at me quite consciously.
– I thank you … – he poorly spoke.
I allowed it to drink, and it, having nodded me, asked to leave it. Tired with troubles of yesterday and at sleepless night, I, at last, decided to leave the patient of one and came to the yard to breathe fresh, morning air. The unknown device standing in the middle of the yard drew my attention again. I approached it and gave a hand.
– Do not go! Stop! – I heard for the muffled, scared voice of the housekeeper. And at the very same time I felt that my hand suddenly became extraordinary heavy as though to it hung up the huge weight which jerked me with such force down that I fell to the ground. The invisible weight pressed down a brush of my hand.
With big effort I took away a hand back. She was ill and was red.
Near me there was a housekeeper and grievously swung the head.
– And as it you… Unless it is possible?. You do not go on the yard better, and that and absolutely will flatten you!
Without understanding anything, I returned to the house and put a compress on a sore hand.
When professor woke up again, he looked already absolutely vigorous. Obviously, this person had extraordinary healthy organism.
– What is it? – he asked, pointing to my hand.
I explained to him.
– You were exposed to big danger – he told.
I very much wanted to hear rather from Wagner an explanation of all extraordinary that I had to endure, but I kept from questions, without wishing to disturb the patient.
In the evening on the same day Wagner, having asked to move his bed to a window, itself began to say about what so occupied me.
– The science studies manifestations of forces of nature – he began without preface – establishes scientific laws, but knows essence of these forces very little. We speak: «electricity, gravity». We study their properties, we use for the purposes. But they reveal final secrets of the nature to us very reluctantly. And therefore we use them far not fully. Electricity in this regard was more pliable. We enslaved this force, having seized it, forced to work for ourselves. We overtake it from place to place, we save in a stock, we spend as required. But gravity is really the most tenacious force. We have to get on with it, adapt more to it, than adapt it to the needs. If we could change gravity, operate it voluntarily, accumulate as electricity, then what powerful tool we would receive! To seize this rebellious force was my old desire.
– And you seized it! – I exclaimed, beginning to understand all event.
– Yes, I seized it. I found means to regulate gravity voluntarily. You saw my first success… Oh… progress sometimes costs much!. – Wagner sighed, rubbing the hurt knee. – In the form of experience I reduced gravity on the small site near the house. And you saw with what ease I lifted a block. It is made due to increase in gravity on small space of my yard… You nearly paid with life for the curiosity,
